Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1887-08-05
WHITE FURNITURE.
How Bright Woman Created Unique
and Beautiful Apartment.


houses in somber colors with dark ma
hogany and early English furniture OF
black oak, which appeared worm-eaten,
if it really was not, when, 10! the dealers
inaugurate perfect craze in white fur
nittlre, light-colored upholstered goods, |
and from the dignified and aristocratic |
English or colonial styles we become
imbued with the period of Louis Quinze
However, the dark rich furniture is too
beautiful to give up without a struggle,
and fashion now dictates that those who
can afford it shall have each room in
their residence furnished to represent
not only distinct period, but a certain
country as well. Thus we have English
rooms, French rooms. colonial, Egyp-
tian and Japanese apartments, accord
ing to the purse Or fancy. The first
s'white room built in New York
of any prominence is the music
room in the Willard mansion.
now owned and occupied by Mr..
Whitelaw Reid. The floor is highly
polished in light colored woods, and
the entire apartment is of ivory white.
picked out with gold, and in the panels
of the walls medallions of lutes.
ribbons and scrolls of music. 4 hand
some "white room has the floor of
polished wood, with here and there Il
white Astrakhan rug; the furniture is
of white, picked out with gold, up
holstered in white satin brocade; the
curtains and other draperies are of
white plush embroidered with gold: the
picture frames are white and gold, a
white easel stands i'll )ne corner and 4
white and gold piano. 1t makes most
beautiful apartment. Not long ago the
writer described this room to clever
young wife who lives in an adjacent
town. She has comparatively liltte
money, but excellent taste; recently she
invited me to see her "white room,
which she surprised me by stating was
all the result of her own ingenuity
and cost but little The wood floor
had been stained and polished to
look like cherry, and several white fox
rugs, which cost about s.. 80, were laid
= re and there. She had bought sew
r lpof the tripod-legged tables with
=. The legs she painted white
lines, using the liquid gliding.
IS were covered with white plush,
(. aaather with white felt, with yellow
| satin bows at the corners and gold
fringe She also made mantel scarf
of white plush, trimmed with yellow
bows An old-fashioned high-backed
kitchen chair she painted white and
made for it a yellow plush cushion.
One of the ordinary Shaker rocking
chairs was also painted white and gold
and over the red S.ld black braided seat
she had tackled white felt, with some
yellow flowers embroidered upon it,
while the bacs was decorated with a
yellow Chinese arf. Plants grew
in common foNsm Pots,' painted white;
an easel was m. - of pine, painted
white, while over the mantel was an
old-fashioned oval mirror, such as were
used fifteen years ago Between the
windows she had hung the mirror
lengthwise and painted its common
black walnut frame white, looping q
white silk scarf, with gold figures,
around it. A milking stool, also painted
white, with bunch of yellow flowers
painted upon the seat, stood in
a corner; at the windows were
white China silk curtains, tied back
with yellow bows. These curtains,
being of the same material as
silk handkerchiefs, of course wash as
we'll. Old disrsed walnut picture frames
were also painted and gilded to match
the other articles. And beautiful wall
| bracket was made of a square of pine
board, to which was nailed three little
shelves put on irreguiarly like three
steps. This also was painted white,
gilded on the edges of the shelves and
hung up by screw eyes. which were con.
cealed by yellow bows-a pretty yellow.
A Leeds vase was one of the ornaments,
a white candlestick which held yellow
twisted candle, choice bit of Royal
Worcester, which were among the pos
sessions, and, of course, other orna-
ments about the apartment. A bird
sang in brass CO harmonizing with
the decorations. le effect was like
fairyland, and il it of this fact the
pretty owner O. all informed us thai
this charming result was reached at {
cost not exceeding twenty-five dollars
1t would be difficult to say which wa'
the more beautiful, the "white room,
with its gorgeousness and white piano
which apartment cost in the neighbor
hood of $4,000, or that of the pretty
young housewife who, with little none,
but much taste and industry, had crea
ted an apartment unique. beautiful and
better than all. showing her own indi
yid Iii N Y MaiI and Efpress.